Rail curving machine



Nov. 30, 1965 J, SELVAGGIO RAIL CURVING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 15, 1963 Fig.2

Fig. 6

mun;

INVENTOR.

1955 J. L. SELVAGGIO RAIL CURVING' MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 15, 1963 w/ 8 M- m .m m a x 412%. 4 6 2 3 4 5 M a o f [1 11 11 11 o 8 5 11 1 1||l11- 1 w 11 2 .w 0 a 3 4 5 2 M 3 m F Joseph L. Se/vcrggia NEW ILhIIIIIII I 1 l |I||I|11| United States Patent 3,220,240 RAIL CURVING MACHINE Joseph L. Selvaggio, 813 E. Miller, Springfield, Ill. Filed Mar. 15, 1963, Ser. No. 265,433 9 Claims. (Cl. 72-404) This invention relates to apparatus for selectively bending a preassembled product of elongated dimension into shapes conforming to the requirements of a particular 1nstallation. More particularly, the apparatus of the present invention is concerned with the curving or bending of workpieces such as ornamental handrail assemblies adapted to be installed at stairways of varying inchnations and curvatures.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a specially designed bending machine whereby straight lengths of ornamental handrail assemblies may be fed into the machine and bent into the proper shape so as to conform to the curvature of the installation regardless of the inclination and spacing of the rail members forming part of the straight handrail assembly being fed to the machine.

Another object of the present invention therefore, is to provide a. handrail curving apparatus whereby a continuous straight length of handrail may be assembled by interconnecting the parallel rail members with its connecting post members before the bending operation is performed. A considerable savings in time and labor is thereby effected in addition to a considerable advantage realized with respect to inventory control by eliminating the need for stocking odd shaped handrails.

In accordance with the foregoing objects, the rail curving apparatus of the present invention involves the adjustable mounting gof a plurality of coacting pairs of bending die assemblies which are .adjustably spaced a fixed distance apart in accordance with the spacing of the parallel rail members of the handrail assembly. Each of the bending die assemblies is also .angularly adjusted at their adjustably spaced location so as to accommodate straight rail assemblies of varying inclinations. Accordingly, a straight rail assembly may be fed into the machine and withdrawn therefrom with a curvature preselected by the curvature of the bending shoe elements utilized and the incremental feeding of the rail assembly being curved under control of the operator. Thus, the radius of curvature and are of curvature may be controlled so as to impart any desired shape to the rail assembly having any desired vertical inclination.

These together with other objects and advantages which Will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the rail curving apparatus.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a side sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 33 in FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged partial sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 4-4 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a partial sectional View similar to that of FIGURE 4 but showing the apparatus adjusted for receiving the rail assembly having a vertical inclination.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the disassembled parts of the stationary die assembly shown in FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the disassembled parts of one of the movable die assemblies associated with the apparatusice FIGURE 8 is a partial sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 8-8 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged partial perspective view of a portion of the apparatus frame.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be observed that the apparatus generally referred to by reference numeral 10 involves a frame assembly consisting of a pair of parallel spaced, vertical side channel members 12 interconnected at the upper ends as by welding to an upper beam assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 14. Connected to the lower ends of the side frame members 12, are elongated angle members 16 which are interconnected by a base frame member 18. The frame assembly is completed by a lower beam assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 20 which is interconnected between the side frame members 12 as by welding. Facilities for carrying the apparatus from one location to another are provided which include handle elements 22 interconnected between the channel flanges of the side frame members 12 intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof as more clearly seen in FIGURE 9.

The upper and lower beam assemblies 14 and 20 are similar in construction. Each of these beam assemblies includes, as more clearly seen in FIGURE 3, a pair of channel members 24 and 26 disposed in back-to-back relationship to each other with the web portions of the channel members being in spaced adjacency to each other but interconnected at the ends thereof to the side frame members 12. Accordingly, a plurality of fastener bolt assemblies 28 may be received between the back-to-back channel members 24 and 26 of the upper beam assembly 14, each of the bolt assemblies having a bolt head 30 en gaging a washer element 32 which bears against and bridges the upper leg portions of the channel members 24 and 26. The lower ends of the bolts 28 are threaded and project below the channel members for threaded reception within one of a plurality of supporting plate members 34 associated with the manually operable hydraulic jack devices 36. Although two such hydraulic jack devices 36 are illustrated as shown in FIGURE 1, it will be appreciated that any number of such jack devices may be utilized dependent upon the number of parallel rails that are associated with the rail assembly being curved by the apparatus. It will also be appreciated, that many dif ferent types of jack mechanisms are available for the purpose. The particular jack mechanism illustrated is however shown with an operating handle 38 whereby the operator may produce the requisite pressure by oscillation thereof in order to cause displacement of the jack device 36 along the guide rod 40 associated therewith which is connected to the support plate 34. It will also be observed that a pair of bolt assemblies 28 are associated with each of the support plates 34 so that the jack device 36 may be .adjustably fixed at any desired location along the upper beam assembly 14.

Each of the jack devices 36 is associated with and connected to a movable bending die assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 42. In addition to being secured to the movable die assembly, the jack devices are adjustably interconnected by a ram mounting assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 44. Thus, the ram mounting assembly 44 also includes a pair of channel members 46 and 48 disposed in back-to-back relationship to each other so as to receive therebetween the bolt assemblies 50 having a head portion 52 at the bottom thereof in engagement with a support plate 54 associated with the movable die assembly 42 while an upper end of the bolt assembly 50 is threaded for threaded connection to a nut element 56 connected as by welding to the base plate 58 of the jack device 36 as more clearly seen in FIGURE 3. Thus, movable die assemblies 42 and associated jack devices 36 will be adjustably but rigidly interconnected with each other and with the connecting ram mounting assembly 44 so that the jack devices and movable die assemblies may be accurately and rigidly guided by the frame assembly. Toward this end, the opposite ends of the channel members 46 and 48 forming the ram mounting assembly 44, are interconnected in spaced relation to each other by the fastener assemblies 60 as more clearly seen in FIGURE 8. The channel members are also fixedly spaced by a spacer element 62 which is connected to and projects from a guide collar 64. The guide collars 64 are therefore slidably mounted on the guide posts 66 that are interconnected between the upper and lower beam assemblies adjacent the side frame members 12. Accordingly, the guide posts 66 are connected to connecting plates 68 at the upper ends thereof that bridge and are connected to the lower leg portions of the channel members 24 and 26 that form the upper beam assembly 14. The lower ends of the guide posts 66 are similarly connected to the lower beam assembly 20 by the connecting plate elements 70. Also mounted on the guide posts 66 and reacting between the lower connecting plate elements 70 and flanges 72 connected to the lower ends of the guide collars 64, are compression springs 74 operative to continously urge the ram assembly and movable die assemblies 42 mounted thereon, out of engagement with the work.

Each movable die assembly as more clearly seen in FIGURE 7, includes the support plate 54 which is generally circular in configuration and includes a pair of arcuate slots 76 through which the bolt assemblies 50 extend for the purpose of adjustably securing the movable die assembly in angular position with respect to the ram assembly on which it is mounted. A pair of l-ugs 7 8 are connected to the support plate 54 and project downwardly therefrom for receiving therebetween the shank portion 80 of a bending shoe element generally referred to by reference numeral 82. Aligned apertures are therefore formed within the depending lugs 78 and the shank portion 80 for the purpose of replaceably securing the bending shoe element 82 in place by means of the connecting pins 84. The bending shoe element 82 is also provided with a die portion 86 which presents a curved surface 88 having a recess 90 that may either directly engage the work for bending thereof or receive a shim element 92 so as to thereby vary the curvature to which the work is bent. Each of the die assemblies 42 is therefore associated with a coacting and operatively aligned stationary die assembly generally referred to by reference numeral 94.

As hereinbefore explained, the lower beam assembly 20 is similar in construction to the upper beam assembly and is therefore similarly provided with a plurality of bolt fastener assemblies 96 having upper head portions 98 that engage a support plate 100 of the stationary die assemblies, the lower threaded portions of the bolt assemblies being threadedly engaged by plate elements 102 that bridge the lower leg portions of the spaced channel members that form the lower beam assembly 20. It will therefore be apparent, that the stationary die assemblies 94 may be adj-ustably located along the lower beam assembly 20 for coacting alignment with the movable die assemblies. As more clearly seen in FIGURES 4 and 6, each of the stationary die assemblies 94 includes the support plate 100 which is similar in construction to the support plate 54 hereinbefore described in connection with the movable die assemblies. Accordingly, the support plate 100 is provided with arcuate slots 104 through which the bolt fastener assemblies 96 extend so that the support plate may be fixed at the desired location along the lower beam assembly at a given angular position. The support plate therefore has a pair of upwardly projecting lugs 106 between which the shank portion 108 of the lower bending shoe element 110 is received and to which it is removably connected by the connecting pins 112 that extend through aligned apertures in the shank portion 108 and the projecting lugs 106. The bending shoe element is also provided with a bending die portion 114 having a surface 116 complementary to the surface 98 mentioned in connection with the upper movable bending shoe element 82. The bending die portion 114- is also provided with a recess 118 within which the work may be received prior to engagement thereof by the upper movable die assemblies 42.

The work on which the apparatus of the present in vention performs its bending operations, consists of an ornamental type of handrail. These handrails include two or more parallel spaced rail members 120 as shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, these rail members being of various cross-sectional shapes. Also, the rail members are interconnected by parallel spaced post members 122 so as to form the rail assembly prior to bending thereof in accordance with the present invention. A straight section or length of a rail assembly may therefore be bent into any desired curvature by the apparatus of the present invention so that it may be directly installed without any further assembly. Accordingly, as more clearly seen in FIGURE 3, each rail member 120 will be received within one of the stationary die assemblies 94 which will be adjustably spaced along the lower beam assembly 20 in accordance with the spacing between the parallel rail members 120. In this way, all of the rail members may be bent to a curvature at locations which are aligned at all times parallel to the interconnecting post members 122 of the rail assembly. The bending operation will of course be accomplished by the operator through the jack devices 36 which will also be adjustably mounted with respect to the upper beam assembly 14 and the ram mounting assembly 44 so as to directly apply the work-performing pressure through the movable dieassembly. The rail assembly constituting the work on which the apparatus porforms the bending operation, may be incrementally fed into the machine from one side as viewed in FIGURE 3 and therefore suitably supported on this side so as to produce an upward curvature as the product emerges from the other side. It will of course be appreciated, that the die bending portions of the movable and stationary die assemblies may be reversed so as to reverse the curvature being formed. Also, by insertion or replacement of the shim elements adapted to be received within the recesses of the die-forming portions of the die assemblies, the curvature may be controlled or varied by the operator both as to its radius and extent. As shown in FIGURES 1, 2, 3 and 4, the work being fed to the apparatus consists of a straight length of horizontal railing. However, by angularly adjusting the circular support plates 54 and 100 associated respectively with the movable and stationary die assemblies, as shown in FIGURE 5, straight lengths of railing having a vertical inclination may be accommodated. Accordingly, the apparatus will be suitable for curving ornamental railing having any vertical inclination as well as horizontal railing.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. Apparatus for bending workpieces having parallel rail members comprising, frame means, stationary the means at least two die members guiding feeding movement of the parallel rail members therethrough in spaced relation to each other, means mounting the die members in adjustably spaced relation to each other on the frame means, movable die means adjustably mounted for coacting alignment with the stationary die'means to engage all the rail members, and ram means adjustably connected to said movable die means and said frame means for imparting forceful motion to the movable die means to bend the rail members to a selected curvature in the direction of feeding movement.

2. Apparatus for bending ornamental rails or the like having parallel rail members interconnected by spaced parallel post members disposed perpendicular thereto comprising, frame means, stationary die means adjustably mounted on the frame means for guiding feeding movement of the parallel rail members therethrough in fixed spaced relation to each other, movable die means adjustably mounted for coacting alignment with the stationary die means to engage all the rail members respectively at locations aligned parallel to said post members, and ram means adjustably connected to said movable die means and said frame means for imparting forceful motion to the movable die means to bend the rail members to a selected curvature in the direction of feeding movement, said frame means including parallel spaced beam assemblies for adjustable connection to the ram means and the stationary die means respective-1y, at least one of said beam assemblies and ram means including, a pair of elongated channel members interconnected in back-toback spaced relationship, and fastener means fixed to the die means and extending between and adjustably fixed to said channel members for adjustably spacing the die means along the channel members in accordance with the spacing between the parallel rail members.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein each of said die means includes a plurality of angularly adjustable supporting assemblies secured to the frame means and the ram means by said fastener means in angular adjusted positions, and replaceable bending shoes secured to the supporting assemblies having coacting surfaces with recesses for receiving, engaging and deforming said rail members at said locations thereon, said recesses being adapted to receive shim elements for varying the curvature to which the rail members are bent by the die means.

4. The combination of claim 3, including guide means fixed to said spaced beam assemblies, said ram means including, guide collars, a mounting assembly formed by said pair of elongated channel members interconnected by said guide collars for slidable mounting by the guide means, biasing means mounted on the guide means for urging the movable die means out of engagement with the rail members, and a plurality of selectively operable jack devices fixed to the movable die means for adjustable connection between the mounting assembly and the frame means by said fastener means.

5. Apparatus for bending ornamental rails or the like having parallel rail members interconnected by spaced parallel post members disposed perpendicular thereto comprising, frame means, stationary die means adjustably mounted on the frame means for guiding feeding movement of the parallel rail members therethrough in fixed spaced relation to each other, movable die means adjustably mounted for coacting alignment with the stationary die means to engage all the rail members respectively at locations aligned parallel to said post members, and ram means adjustably connected to said movable die means and said frame means for imparting forceful motion to the movable die means to bend the rail members to a selected curvature in the direction of feeding movement, each of said die means including a plurality of angularly adjustable supporting assemblies secured to the frame means and the ram means in angular adjusted positions, and replaceable bending shoes secured to the supporting assemblies having coacting surfaces with recesses for receiving, engaging and deforming saidrail members at said locations thereon, said recesses being adapted to receive shim elements for varying the curvature to which the rail members are bent by the die means.

6. The combination of claim 5, including guide means fixed to said frame means, said ram means including, guide collars, a mounting assembly connected to said guide collars for slidable mounting by the guide means, biasing means mounted on the guide means for urging the movable die means out of engagement with the rail members, and a plurality of selectively operable jack devices fixed to the movable die means for adjustable connection between the mounting assembly and the frame means.

7. Apparatus for bending ornamental rails or the like having parallel rail members interconnected by spaced parallel post members disposed perpendicular thereto comprising, frame means, stationary die means adjustably mounted on the frame means for guiding feeding movement of the parallel rail members therethrough in fixed spaced relation to each other, movable die means adjustably mounted for coacting alignment with the stationary die means to engage all the rail members respectively at locations aligned parallel to said post members, and ram means adjustably connected to said movable die means and said frame means for imparting forceful motion to the movable die means to bend the rail members to a selected curvature in the direction of feeding movement, and guide means fixed to said frame means, said ram means including, guide collars, a mounting assembly connected to said guide collars for slidable mounting by the guide means, biasing means mounted on the guide means for urging the movable die means out of engagement with the rail members, and a plurality of selectively operable jack devices fixed to the movable die means for adjustable connection between the mounting assembly and the frame means.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said frame means includes parallel spaced beam assemblies for adjustable connection to the ram means and the stationary die means respectively, at least one of said beam assemblies or the mounting assembly including, a pair of elongated channel members interconnected in back-to-back spaced relationship, and fastener means fixed to the die means extending between and adjustably fixed to said channel members for adjustably spacing the die means along the channel members in accordance with the spacing between the parallel rail members.

9. A bending press for an elongated workpiece comprising a frame, an elongated beam movably mounted by the frame, guide means secured to the frame for constraining movement of the beam in a fixed direction, at least two stationary dies having angularly adjustable means for receiving spaced portions of said workpiece, means mounting the stationary dies in adjustably spaced relation on the frame, a pair of bending dies mounted on said beam in alignment with the stationary dies for engaging said spaced portions of the workpiece, and a plurality of jack devices interconnected between the beam and the frame for exerting bending pressure on the bending dies at adjustably spaced locations along the beam.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,725,916 12/1955 Gershater 15321 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. APPARATUS FOR BENDING WORKPIECES HAVING PARALLEL RAIL MEMBERS COMPRISING FRAME MEANS STATIONARY DIE MEANS AT LEAST TWO DIE MEMBERS GUIDING FEEDING MOVEMENT OF THE PARALLEL RAIL MEMBERS THERETHROUGH IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER, MEANS MOUNTING THE DIE MEMBERS IN ADJUSTABLY SPACED RELATION TO EACH OTHER ON THE FRAME MEANS, MOVABLE DIE MEANS ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED FOR COACTING ALIGNMENT WITH THE STATIONARY DIE MEANS TO ENGAGE ALL THE RAIL MEMBERS, AND RAM MEANS ADJUSTABLY CONNECTED TO SAID MOVABLE DIE MEANS AND SAID FRAME MEANS FOR IMPARTING FORCEFUL MOTION TO THE MOVABLE DIE MEANS TO BEND THE RAIL MEMBERS TO A SELECTED CURVATURE IN THE DIRECTION OF FEEDING MOVEMENT. 